The foundry of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG makes use of simulation technology throughout the entire product and process development process, in order to save materials and costs in a highly price-sensitive market on the one hand, and to drive innovation and optimize component integration on the other.įor example, so-called return scrap is saved by “riserless” casting. Before simulation technology became available, the individual development steps had to be taken “by hand” – from the part design to its realization as a casting by means of numerous, expensive test castings – and at the end there was still no guarantee that the process would indeed be reliable enough for the casting to be produced in the defined quality. Correct production parameters for the casting process, with which the casting can be produced economically and reliably, can be developed with calculable quality. What this means in practice is that the engineers are in a position to develop a casting with defined qualities at their computers. As a result, the foundrymen are in a position to accurately characterize the casting and production process as well as predict the casting’s properties before production has begun. This is because casting process simulation opens up the possibility of taking a look inside the former “black box” of the mold, to understand and predict precisely what happens during pouring and solidification of the melt. In doing so, the engineers rely on a technology regarded in the industry as one of the most important innovations of the last 50 years.
#Magmasoft casting simulation software
The planning department Pattern and Casting Engineering bridges the gap between computer-aided product design and actual production using MAGMASOFT ®, the leading software for simulating casting processes. This level of quality is achieved by continuous IT support over the entire production process – from design of the components and patterns to the stable computer controlled melting and pouring processes.Ĭasting simulation bridges the gap between design and production We see casting as part of an overarching process, beginning in design and finishing in reliably functioning, competitive end products,” Jürgen Schimmel says when formulating the “mission” of the Amstetten foundry. “We have a clearly defined goal: economical casting production with consistently high quality.
#Magmasoft casting simulation free
Free market competition does not just make economic sense it also serves to ensure that all processes are focused on achieving the highest quality, according to Schimmel. This is because the quality of the individual presses to a significant degree depends on the quality of the castings produced in Amstetten.Īmstetten’s staff does not just produce castings for the Heidelberg Group: 50 external companies order large and small castings in differing batch sizes from the Amstetten foundry. “For our customers, just like for ourselves, the decision for Heidelberg is always a decision for quality,” is how Jürgen Schimmel, Director of Pattern & Casting Engineering describes the company’s vision, which he implements on a daily basis together with the 450 employees involved in casting production. The parts are core elements of the sheet-fed offset presses that Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, as the market leader, provides to users in the print media industry worldwide. It acts as a center of excellence for the manufacture of castings, such as printing press side panels or cylinders, for the entire Heidelberg Group, which has a yearly revenue of three billion euros (~$4.4 billion) and 15,000 employees. The Amstetten factory is one of the most up-to-date and efficient foundries in all of Europe. This enables them to predict precisely what the quality and characteristics of the cast iron cylinder will be, when it leaves the mold and is finally integrated in a Heidelberg printing press.
They ran through the entire process in advance with simulation software.
The engineers of Amstetten Foundry, which forms part of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, are familiar with every detail of the casting system.
The movement of the flowing metal in the casting rigging and in the gradually filling mold for printing press cylinders and the subsequent solidification process are only chaotic and accidental, at first glance. The 1400 ☌ hot cast iron melt gushes through the gate into the mold. Simulation in action: casting quality, realizing innovation, reducing costs